Overview
The State Matura (Matura Shtetërore) is Albania's school-leaving examination at the end of secondary education, run by the Ministry of Education together with the National Examinations Agency. It replaced an older entrance-test system in 2006. Passing it is required to receive a secondary-school diploma, and the results also feed into the ranking used for admission to public universities in Albania.
Who can apply
Students complete the State Matura at the end of grade 12, typically around age 18, after finishing the secondary-school curriculum. Students in general secondary schools (gymnasiums) sit the standard State Matura. Students finishing vocational or professional secondary schools sit a parallel Professional State Matura, which adds a professional-theory exam alongside the common subjects.
Exam pattern
Compulsory and elective subjects
Every candidate sits three compulsory written exams: Albanian Language and Literature, Mathematics, and a Foreign Language (usually English, except in schools that teach in another foreign language). Candidates also sit one elective exam, chosen from a list that includes:
Sciences: Chemistry, Physics, Biology
Social subjects: History, Geography, Civics and Psychology, Philosophy and Sociology
Economics and arts: Economics, History of Art, History of Music, History of Ballet
For 2026, each written exam starts at 10:00 local time and lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Professional State Matura
Candidates from vocational and professional schools sit the same compulsory and elective exams as general secondary students, plus an exam on integrated professional theory specific to their programme of study.
Marking and results
Exams are marked on Albania's secondary-school numeric scale, which runs from 4 (lowest) to 10 (highest). Since 2025, a candidate's secondary-school diploma is generated automatically through the e-Albania online portal once results are finalised.
Important dates
For 2026, the State Matura exam schedule is:
Foreign Language: June 2, 2026
Albanian Language and Literature: June 9, 2026
Mathematics: June 16, 2026
Elective subject: June 23, 2026
A second (supplementary) session for candidates who did not sit or did not pass an exam in the first session runs from August 24 to September 3, 2026; for Professional State Matura candidates, this session also includes the integrated professional-theory exam.
After the exam
Matura results, combined with a candidate's average grade across the three years of secondary school, are used to rank applicants for places at public universities in Albania. Each university publishes its own admission criteria and quotas for its faculties, and candidates apply and are ranked through the centralized online admission process.
Preparation tips
Prioritise the three compulsory subjects, since every candidate must pass Albanian Language and Literature, Mathematics, and the Foreign Language regardless of which elective is chosen.
Pick the elective subject with your intended university course in mind, since some faculties weigh particular elective subjects more heavily when ranking applicants.
Use the official model tests published by the Ministry of Education and the National Examinations Agency to practice under timed, exam-format conditions.
Who has to take the State Matura?
Every student finishing grade 12 in an Albanian secondary school, whether a general gymnasium or a vocational/professional school, takes the State Matura (in its general or professional form) to receive their secondary-school diploma.
What subjects are on the State Matura?
Three subjects are compulsory for everyone: Albanian Language and Literature, Mathematics, and a Foreign Language. Candidates also choose one elective subject from a list of science, social-studies, economics and arts subjects; Professional State Matura candidates additionally sit an integrated professional-theory exam.
How are State Matura results used?
Results are required for the secondary-school diploma, and they are combined with a candidate's three-year secondary-school average to rank applicants for places at public universities, which set their own admission criteria and quotas per faculty.
What happens if a student misses or fails an exam in June?
A supplementary second session later in the summer lets candidates who missed or did not pass an exam in the first session sit it again.